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The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
Christian R. Belgrave
Global Connections
December 6, 2017
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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Abstract
This research paper will examine the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in North America,
West Africa, and the Caribbean. To show these effect this paper will examine the: inconsistent
disproportionate racial incarceration rates, and the economic and cultural devastation of African
countries. In examining these facets in the different societies it will show the how the paradox that
is the past influences the present and future a great much. It will convey the residual effects of
Table of Contents
Cover Page .......................................................................................................................................1
Abstract ............................................................................................................................................2
Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................3
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................4
Limitations .......................................................................................................................................4
Literature View ................................................................................................................................5
Discussion ......................................................................................................................................10
Global .........................................................................................................................................10
Local ......................................................................................................................................12
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................16
References ......................................................................................................................................16
Appendix ........................................................................................................................................18
References ......................................................................................................................................18
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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Introduction
Being born into a life that one did not ask for is one that many people face in today’s society.
Being brought over from one country to the next and then being harassed beaten, taught to self-
hate and then put into a system that doesn’t help all but a certain racial group. That is the life many
African Americans, and afro-Caribbean are born into, after their ancestors have were forcibly
brought into the Americas and into the Caribbean. To be placed into a system that is not for, but
mostly against their entire race, and extra obstacles that are added in front of people to hop over
and to push through just to get a quarter of the way in life. While these are not the subjects that all,
but many African Americans or Afro Caribbean have to deal with it is still a prevalent issue. With
the ever-growing destruction of the afro descended communities, these issues have stemmed from
the epidemic of slavery. It is important to realize that in this day and age that to be black is a death
sentence in some places, it is to bring pain into one’s home, and it too always have to worry if a
child will make it home one night or the next. It is the thought of knowing that your children will
grow up far quicker than most kids will have to. It is to know that you will not have the same
freedoms or rights of everyone else. To know that you are unequal in every aspect of one’s life. It
is evident that the psychological effects of slavery effect many black or afro communities today
Limitation
The psychological effects of slavery are seemingly evident or obvious to see, there are a few
limitations.
Time- The author has a limit on the amount of time that is allowed to write this paper with the issue
of being able to compile all the information for this topic and bring everything to light. Due to this
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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there could be a lack of information or a brief description of certain aspects of the topic. The Time
Author Bias - Due to the authors place in the community that happens to be of afro Caribbean
decedent and living in North America, the author could only being seeing the issue from one
perspective instead off all point of view. Because the author has lived and witnessed these effects
and takes complete responsibility for this. The Author Is very deeply rooted in the African
Geographical – The world is a vast place full of different communities, and a great amount of
people affected by slavery. Due to this there is a set location(s) in which the paper will be
discussing. These locations consist of North America, West Africa and the Caribbean.
Information- Do to the lack of acknowledgement from many people that there is an issue, there
can be in many cases hard to find information about what is wrong especially when people don’t
want to come forward. Also with the fact that this is still somewhat relatively new information
Literature Review
(n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2017, from
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1609-1865/essays/aafamilies.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnV_MTFEGIY&feature=youtu.be
The Atlantic slave trade was between the continents of North America, Africa, and South America.
5% of slaves that came from Africa ended up in North America, 48% were transported to the
Caribbean and the remaining 47% were transported to Brazil. The slaves that were obtained from
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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Africa were not stolen as many people believe. Due to the immense power in Africa were the
There were many different ways in which people use the word slavery but it is concluded that from
Aristotle who had the idea that “ Some People are just born Slaves” and the large importation of
Africans by the Muslims helped to the ideology that darker skinned people were of lesser
importance. Not seen as people but seen as a commodity to help in society, to be owned and used
as a resource. The bible was used to justify slavery and bring light that this issue could be
hereditary.
“Slavery not only inhibited family formation but made stable, secure family life difficult if not
impossible. A father might have one owner, his "wife" and children another. Family separation
through sale was a constant threat. Many owners encouraged marriage to protect their investment
in their slaves.”
Moore, A. (2017, September 08). 5 Signs Showing You May Suffer From 'Mental Slavery' by Dr.
showing-you-may-suffer-from-mental-slavery-by-dr-amos-wilson/
Slavery while over contributes to the mindset that many African Americans have today. The
Mindset of many African Americans today whether knowingly or unknowingly, is called the Slave
mindset. “The Slave mindset” is caused by knowing one culture then being dropped into another
one, and being stripped of one’s culture in all aspects, language, names, food, religion, and even
the clothes that you wear. What one is accustomed too is completely obliterated and blanketed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkXseTHxusw&feature=youtu.be
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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Mental slavery requires the help of all not just a few. Mental slavery does not just only effect the
African Americans, it also shows how others view African Americans, or other people of afro
decent are seen as threats or lesser than others “It is the World in which black people everywhere
cant breath,”. To change the world and the value of black lives, there must be a change in the
thinking of black inferiority. Social indicators in income, heart disease etc, show the effects of in
the black. “Somebody told a lie one day. They couched it in language. They made everything
Black ugly and evil”. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The mentality of slavery may not always been
known to black people, and while not always intended the mentality can occur outside, and then
moved to internally. “As a people we can’t breathe, we are suffering under the weight of racism”
“When we revolt it’s not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we
can no longer breathe” Frantz Fanon. The effects of colonialism in Africa is one that is not far
removed from society. And while the blacks “free” all around the world they are still held at a
different value than those of a lighter color. Their lives have been devalued in every social aspect.
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1609-1865/essays/aafamilies.htm
The article gives a historical back ground on the issue of slavery and how it was in general. It
shows the different laws and acts that were in play and how they affected the slaves and their
families. Which in turn showed how the communities were also affected, by giving a historical
standpoint on the issue and that of which is accurate, and it is a good source for the paper being
written. The article is one that is useful for its lack of bias because it is historical. Where the article
come forms also gives the article in its own credibility. It also has evidence of this history and the
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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sources to back it up. The article could help to progress the paper to shed light on why there are
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnV_MTFEGIY&feature=youtu.be
The Slave trade video by john Green does show how slavery has been around since almost the
beginning, he also he speaks of how the Europeans traded slaves before they even took them to
the Americas. He spoke of how they were commodities of the time and necessary for economies
to grow as laborers. And there purpose to mainly deal in agriculture and how their owners treated
them and how they were expected to live and die. John Green is a non-bias party who speaks of
the slaves and how they were developed and how they are wrong and never right to do or at all ok.
He does show how they were useful to their owners and how the slaves were affected by their
work in agriculture. Mr. Green does also touch on the topic on how it is possible that slavery was
believed to be passed down hereditarily. This piece would be effective in my writing because this
one or more into detail about slavery with specific details needed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXC4Q_4JVg&feature=youtu.be
The video of the trans-Atlantic slave trade speaks of the different continents in which slavery has
mainly affected from the 1400s to the 1800s. The video shows how the slaves from Africa became
slaves in the Americas and the West Indians. It spoke of the African nations and how they fought
for slaves in order to gain materials from the Europeans. The video speaks of how there nations in
Africa became poor due their economies collapsing. Leading to war fare and still affecting Africa
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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today. The Video of the trans-Atlantic slave trade is notable source because of its lack of bias and
fact based information. And while holding a different point of view from just the Americas and
the Europeans, they also touch on how it affected Africa as a whole, and how it still influenced
them today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkXseTHxusw&feature=youtu.be
The Video of Dr. Cheryl shows how slavery still effect society mentally. She speaks of different
atrocities from around the world speaking the different issues occurring steaming form the same
issue. While she doesn’t have sources as a written article does she has her education, her title, and
her experience firsthand with these issues. She while being a person is still a noteworthy source.
The video while can be seen as a bias due to her be African American it still gives a side to the
story occurring now in history. The video speaks of the inferiority of African Americans and shows
how the different issues from employment to housing, she speaks of how they stem from the mental
slavery. The video does make reference to historical figure like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Loury, G. C. (2016, July 28). An American Tragedy: The legacy of slavery lingers in our cities’
tragedy-the-legacy-of-slavery-lingers-in-our-cities-ghettos/
The article touches on the social, economic and the political issues faced in the African-American
community. In the article they speak of W.E.B Dubois and other Americans who saw the color
divide as something that is evident and will continue to grow in American society. They speak of
the ghettos and how they came to be due to slavery and what the people are like in those areas as
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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a result of American history. This article is a useful source because of the immense background
information and lack of bias in the piece. Also the broad perspectives it gives from both sides of
the issue, and a t points instead of saying one point or one side is absolutely 100% correct they ask
questions to see if what has occurred is right or wrong .While is factual and still relevant in society
Discussion
like livestock, sold as commodities, and used as captive tools in unfamiliar lands by obdurate
strangers. Approximately 12.5 million Africans were removed from their homelands by slave
traders between the 17th and 19th century and their descendants now populate the United States,
Brazil, and Caribbean islands (Pruitt). Modernism has exercised ineffective mental games in
separating itself from the evils of the past—”a black man was elected president, racism is
over.” However, slavery, one of the most horrendous examples of human evil, has had enduring
detrimental effects on black communities around the world that still saturate the present-day
landscape. The lingering stench of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade is evident in many facets of
division, segregated neighborhoods, disproportionate racial incarceration rates, and the economic
Global
To understand the legacy of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade on must understand the historiography
of the different regions. In the Caribbean islands—to which 48% percent of slaves were taken
during the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade—the descendants of enslaved African people suffer
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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similar problems as those living in the United States: poverty, low education rates, high
incarceration rates, etc. But even more disturbing is the fate of the native peoples of the Caribbean
islands. The Arawak, one of several groups of native people that were adversely affected by the
establishment of the sugarcane industry in the Caribbean, were virtually wiped out. Now only a
modest enclave of the Arawak survive on the mainland of South America as the island population
However, the modern implications of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade are not limited to the
Western Hemisphere. Still baring the scars of history, the countries from which enslaved blacks
were taken have never recovered from the economic and cultural damage dealt by the slave trade
during the era of imperialism. The majority of enslaved people were taken from the West African
regions of Senegambia (which includes the modern countries of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau,
and Mali), west-central Africa (which includes the modern countries of Angola, Congo, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon), and the “Gold Coast,” or modern day Ghana
(Pruitt). A comparison of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP’s) of these countries to those of the
countries that benefitted from the Trans-Atlantic slave trade shows the tragic economic effects of
slavery that still radiate in modern Africa. In Senegal, the GDP per capita is a meager 958.07 USD;
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is even lower at 444.5 USD (GDP
per Capita). The political instability left behind by the exploitation of these lands during the era of
imperialism has left them economically depressed—the people have little to no access to education
Furthermore, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade diminished and destroyed many of the
traditions of pre-existing African cultures. The enslavement of Africans reinforced the fallacious
distinctions of Europeans as civil and proper and Africans as backwards savages. As a result many
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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of the traditional religions and mythologies of African nations have been lost to Christianity and
Islam and many traditional African languages have been snuffed out by English and other
European languages. African nations were not only robbed of their people, they were robbed of
their identities. The feelings of inferiority instilled by Europeans during the imperialist age were
In addition, the slave trade is still alive and well in Africa and continues to devastate lives
and raise violent conflict. In fact, over six million Africans are known to live in slavery in the
modern age (Widman). This modern slavery varies in form—child slavery, forced marriage, forced
labor, descent-based slavery, and human trafficking—but is still just as deplorable and devastating
in its implications as the slavery written textbooks. The country of Mauritania did not illegalize
slavery until the year 2007 and up until that year up to 20% of the country’s population had been
enslaved (Widman). Even after the illegalization of slavery in the country, those who were once
slaves or have been born to previously enslaved parents are treated as second class citizens. It is
Local
While it is important to understand the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in a glob view it is
also important to examine the legacy through a more local lens. Perhaps the most prominent among
the residual effects of slavery is the classification of racial groups on the socioeconomic spectrum.
In spite of various legislative attempts over the decades, black communities in America have not
fully recovered from the economic devastation caused by generations of enslavement. According
to Pew Research Center, the average white household earns thirteen times that of the average black
household in the United States and black Americans are twice as likely to live in poverty when
compared to white Americans. This gap is not shrinking either; since the Great Recession, the
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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disparity between white and black incomes in America has steadily increased (On Views of Race
and Inequality). Worse yet, black Americans are far more likely to suffer from employment than
their white counterparts. 11.6% of black men and 9.3% of black women are unemployed but only
5.l% of white men and 3.8% of white women are unemployed (On Views of Race and Inequality).
In the land of opportunity, those descended from slaves will never have the same opportunity as
those descended from slave owners. Wealth, knowledge, reputation, and nepotistic( the practice
among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them
jobs.) advantages are all inherited and those whose families have owned land and wealth for
generations inherently possess greater amounts of all of those attributes than those whose families
In fact, over 98% of land in the United States (approximately 856 million acres or 1 trillion dollars’
worth of land) is owned by white Americans whereas less than 1% (approximately 14 billion
dollars’ worth, a measly sum by comparison) is owned by black Americans (Who Owns Almost
All America’s Land?). This is an appalling disproportion when considering that black Americans
make up 13.3% of the population and white Americans make up 76.9% of the population
(Population Estimates). The reason for this gross imbalance in land ownership is this: land is
passed down from generation to generation and those whose ancestors were enslaved and not
allowed to purchase the land for the first four hundred years of the country’s history are at an
undeniable disadvantage.
Furthermore, the inherent difference in opportunity between races has stifled levels of
White Americans are about 1.5 times as like to carry college degrees than black degree which
means for every 100 black Americans with college degrees, there are about 150 degree holding
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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white Americans (On Views of Race and Inequality). This is the result of a vicious cycle within
the black community initiated by the educational deprivation of enslaved Africans and continued
by the deficient schools forced upon black Americans during the Jim Crow era. It is a well-
established fact that children raised by parents that did not complete higher education are far less
likely to pursue it themselves. So in other words, education is another trait that is to some extent
inherited and therefore another field in which slavery has affected the opportunity of black
Another unfortunate consequence of the racist background pollution left behind by slavery
and the Jim Crow era is the passionate and at times violent racial division of whites and blacks in
modern day society. This racial division manifests itself in many complex issues; one of the most
blatant and current examples of this is the struggle between Americans over the display of
Confederate statues. The statues themselves are little more than pieces of stone; however, the racial
tension left behind by the era of slavery and Jim Crow has vested in these stones enough
significance to inspire violent conflicts and even death—such as the death of Heather Heyer in
Charlottesville, Virginia. Black Americans, separated from slavery by several generations, still
feel the pain of enslavement and oppression and Confederate statues to them represent an outdated
Not all manifestations of slavery that inspired racial division are violent. When observing
the distributions of racial groups in residential areas, it is shocking how segregated America
remains despite segregation being long since illegalized. In fact, the Brookings Institute (using a
system that ranks the segregation of an area from zero, complete integration, to 100, complete
segregation, by the “percentage of blacks that would have to change neighborhoods to match the
distribution of whites”) found that the majority of urban areas surveyed fell between segregation
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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ratings of 50 and 70 (Frey). Although these numbers are certainly better than the near total
they show that the average American city is still more racially segregated than integrated.
Moreover, incarceration in America illustrates another facet of society in which the slavery
era of history continues to affect the black community. Black Americans have been freed from the
physical chains of slavery; however, they still make up 37.9% of the imprisoned despite making
up a considerably smaller section of the overall U.S. population (BOP Statistics). This
disproportion in American prison populations is the result of a convergence of factors. The most
forceful of said factors are the economic and educational disadvantages many black Americans
face and subconscious racial biases held over from less enlightened periods of history. The latter
of these factors, racial biases, becomes deliberately apparent when one observes arrest statistics in
America; a study of seventy police departments found that black Americans are on average ten
times more likely to be arrested than any other race (Heath). Surely black Americans, a group that
makes up little over 13% of the population, cannot be committing ten times the crime as any other
race. It is clear that even if they are not overtly racist, many law officers possess inherent biases
against blacks that influence their arrests. These subconscious biases are remaining from the period
in which blacks were regarded as subhuman—in which whites viewed blacks as livestock. It is
evident that despite the abolishment of slavery, there is still the visceral influence of “us vs. them”
psychology in America and it affects the lives of blacks every day, many of whom living fearful
of those tasked with the duty of protecting them. And with a fear such as this, living in those
societies that are split apart how is there ever going to be a change between the two.
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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Conclusion
Slavery has been abolished in most developed nations for approximately 200 years but its effects
are still felt deeply by black communities around the world. Descendants of enslaved Africans
suffer from disadvantaged economic opportunity and racial division and millions of Africans
continue to live under enslavement. The devastation of slavery is far from over and continues to
impact the contemporary world every day. The modern societal effects of slavery has rippled
throughout time and has made an impact like no other. The ripple effects are still present today in
many black communities around the world from North America, the Caribbean, and West Africa,
and any other places around the world. It is important to realize these effects and make them aware
to all. To change these imprints placed upon by past ancestors, and inherited throughout the years,
whether you be black or white or any person of color. There are problems such as this all over the
world and it is up to the people to help make a change and bring to light for all people, to show the
past and change the present day. There is just one question left, how can we change these ripple
effects of the disease that is slavery? How can we stop the spread of this problematic issue in the
Reference
“On Views of Race and Inequality, Blacks and Whites Are Worlds Apart.” Pew Research
Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 27 June 2016,
www.pewsocialtrends.org/2016/06/27/1-demographic-trends-and-economic-well-being/.
“Who Owns Almost All America's Land?” Inequality.org, Institute for Policy Studies, 15 Feb.
2016, inequality.org/research/owns-land/.
“Population Estimates.” U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau, 1 July 2016,
www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045216.
The Societal Effects of Slavery in North America, West Africa, and the Caribbean
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“BOP Statistics: Inmate Race.” Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Bureau of Prisons, 23 Sept.
2017, www.bop.gov/about/statistics/statistics_inmate_race.jsp.
Heath, Brad. “Racial Gap in U.S. Arrest Rates: 'Staggering Disparity'.” USA Today, Gannett
Satellite Information Network, 19 Nov. 2014,
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/18/ferguson-black-arrest-rates/19043207/.
Pruitt, Sarah. “What Part of Africa Did Most Slaves Come from?” History.com, A&E Television
Networks, 3 May 2016, www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-part-of-africa-did-most-slaves-
come-from.
“GDP per Capita (Current US$).” The World Bank, World Bank Group,
data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD.
Widman, Miriam. “As Slave Trade Abolition Is Celebrated, Millions of Africans Continue to
Live as Slaves.” DW.COM, Deutsche Welle, 23 Mar. 2015, www.dw.com/en/as-slave-trade-
abolition-is-celebrated-millions-of-africans-continue-to-live-as-slaves/a-18337189.
Loury, G. C. (2016, July 28). An American Tragedy: The legacy of slavery lingers in our cities’
ghettos. Retrieved October 20, 2017, from https://www.brookings.edu/articles/an-american-
tragedy-the-legacy-of-slavery-lingers-in-our-cities-ghettos/
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S, P. (2011, July 26). Difference Between. Retrieved December 08, 2017, from
http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-black-american-and-african-
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McLeod, S. (1970, January 01). Saul McLeod. Retrieved December 08, 2017, from
https://www.simplypsychology.org/social-psychology.html
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[Personal interview].
Appendix
Interview
Interviewer: Do you feel that there are groups of people who are put at a higher place in life by
birth?
David: Yes
Interviewer: Do you feel that there are groups of people that have put at a higher place in life by
the race they are born into.
David: Yes
Interviewer: Does the racial divide of these groups stem from slavery and why?
David: Yes the racial divide stemmed from slavery because of the people being spread out at
losing their own communities and then with later on in history the Jim Crow era exacerbated the
issue as well.
Interviewer: Do you feel that the racial divide and the placement of people in societies occur all
over the world and why?
David: Yes, the racial divide is worldwide because those who were taken by the Europeans and
where distributed or placed around the world because the Europeans where put into new societies
where they were automatically belittled and seen as a commodity.